2
0
1
3
E
D
I
T
I
O
N
Summer Reading
O N M A R T H A’ S V I N E YA R D
For Students Entering 5th Grade
New Favorites
Here are some of our newest
favorites for 5th grade!
The School of Good and
Evil
by Soman Chainani
The One and Only Ivan
by Katherine Applegate
When You Wish Upon a Rat
by Maureen McCarthy
The Wishing Spell
by Chris Colfer
A Hero’s Guide to Saving
Your Kingdom
by Christopher Healy
Infinity Ring: A Mutiny in
Time
by James Dashner
The Platypus Police Squad
by Jarrett Krosocska
“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where
we are.” -- Mason Cooley
Dear Parents,
Summer vacation is here (wahoo!) but it is also a wonderful time
to READ! Fifth graders should be exploring different genres and
finding what they enjoy the most. It is important that students
read books that are not too hard and not too easy, but are right at
their level. The five finger test is a great way to determine if a book
is just right -- if you can count five words on a page that you don’t
understand, it isn’t a good fit for you.
Summer is also the perfect time for students to explore books that
they choose and are interested in. Here are some summer reading
tips for parents and students:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Set aside regular reading / read aloud time
Visit the local library -- they have wonderful summer activities!
Read to your children and let them read to you
Parents -- read for pleasure in front of your children
Allow choice in reading
Pack a book wherever you go!
Encourage and help your child succeed with reading
^ = harder reading level // * = easier reading level
(according to lexile scores)
“Children who do NOT read in the summer can lose two to three
months of reading development.…kids who DO read tend to gain a
month of reading proficiency.”
-Allington, Richard L. and McGill-Franzen, Anne. (2003).
Created May 2013 by Ms. Lambacher, Media Specialist at the Edgartown Elementary
School on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. It was influenced by ideas from the
staff at the Edgartown Elementary School, and was largely inspired by the Waltham
Public Schools’ summer reading newsletter. Happy reading!
Books About 5th Grade
Nothing’s Fair in Fifth
Grade *
There’s a Boy in the Girl’s
Bathroom *
Jack on the Tracks: Four
Seasons of Fifth Grade
by Barthe DeClements
by Louis Sachar
by Jack Gantos
A fifth grade class gets a new
student they dislike, but after
discovering her difficult home
life, will they learn to accept
her?
An unmanageable, but
lovable, eleven-year-old
misfit learns to believe in
himself when he gets to know
the new school counselor,
who is a sort of misfit too.
After moving with his
unbearable sister to Miami,
Florida, Jack tries to break
some of his bad habits but
finds himself irresistibly
drawn to things disgusting,
gross, and weird.
by Dan Gutman
Blubber *
Radio Fifth Grade
A boy creates a computer
program to do his homework,
and the results are
unexpected -- for more than
just himself.
by Judy Blume
by Gordon Korman
Shredderman: Secret
Identity *
Jill goes along with the rest
of the fifth grade class in
tormenting a classmate and
then finds out what it's like
when she, too, becomes a
target.
Mayhem breaks out in fifth
grade when Venice bullies his
classmates into letting him
on the school radio program.
by Wendelin Van Draanen
The Report Card
by Amy MacDonald
Fifth grader Nolan is tired of
being picked on by the class
bully, and creates a secret
identity -- Shredderman.
by Andrew Clements
Simon’s Great Aunt Matilda
becomes the substitute
teacher for his unruly fifth
grade class.
The Homework Machine
Nora decides to prove that
grades aren’t important.
No More Nasty *
Realistic Fiction and Humor
Any title by Matt Christopher
A Week in the Woods
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit*
Happy Birthday, Sophie
Hartley!
by Andrew Clements
by Paula Danzinger
by Stephanie Greene
The Puzzling World of
Winston Breen
Bobby vs. the Girls*
Snarf Attack, Underfoodle,
and the Secret of Life: The
Riot Brothers Tell All*
by Eric Berlin
by Mary Amato
by Dan Gutman
by Sharon Creech
The Gollywhopper Games
Love, Aubrey *
by Jody Feldman
by Suzanne LaFleur
Rules by Cynthia Lord
The Candymakers
Lawn Boy
Hoot or Scat by Carl Hiaasen
by Wendy Mass
by Gary Paulsen
Kickoff! by Tiki & Ronde
Barber
The Million Dollar Shot
by Lisa Yee
Love That Dog ^
Historical Fiction
The Mostly True
Adventures of Homer P.
Figg
My Name is America series
Esperanza Rising
by various authors
by Pam Munoz Ryan
by Rodman Philbrick
Lily’s Crossing
Elijah of Buxton^
by Patricia Reilly Giff
The Invention of Hugo
Cabret
by Christopher Paul Curtis
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Dear America series
by Scott O’Dell
by various authors
War Horse^ by Michael
Morpurgo
Weasel by Cynthia DeFelice
by Brian Selznick
Titanic: Unsinkable (series)
by Gordon Korman
Al Capone Does My Shirts*
by Gennifer Choldenko
Mystery
Nancy Drew
The Ghost of Cutler Creek
by Carolyn Keene
by Cynthia DeFelice
Gilda Joyce: Psychic
Investigator^
Floors by Patrick Carman
by Jennifer Allison
Hardy Boys
by Franklin Dixon
Trackers (series) by Patrick
Carman
Bunnicula* by James Howe
The Egypt Game^
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Murder at Midnight* by Avi
Chasing Vermeer by Blue
Balliet
Closed For the Season by
Mary Downing Hahn
Sammy Keyes (series) by
Wendelin Van Draanen
I,Q: Independence Hall* by
Roland Smith
Benjamin Pratt and the
Keepers of the School
(series) by Andrew Clements
Fantasy
Bone (series)
Into the Land of the
Unicorns (series) by Bruce
Coville
Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon
Hatcher (series) by Bruce
Coville
The City of Ember (series)
by Jeanne DuPrau
Dealing With Dragons
(series) by Patricia C. Wrede
Breadcrumbs
The Runaway Dolls
by Anne Ursu
by Ann M. Martin
Artemis Fowl (series)
The White Giraffe
by Eoin Colfer
by Lauren St. James
Warriors (series) by Erin
Hunter
Tale of Despereaux
Guardians of Ga’hoole
(series) by Kathryn Lasky
by Jeff Smith
Savvy^
by Ingrid Law
The Girl Who Could Fly
by Victoria Forrester
by Kate DiCamillo
Falling In by Frances Dowell
Sidekicks* by Dan Santat
Secrets at Sea* by Richard
Peck
Gossamer* by Lois Lowry
Midnight for Charlie Bone
(series) by Jenny Nimmo
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Science Fiction
The Lost Children
Found (series)
Turnabout
by Carolyn Cohagan
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
My Teacher is an Alien*
Among the Hidden (series)
Cosmic
by Bruce Coville
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Animorphs (series)
A Wrinkle in Time
by K.A. Applegate
The Supernaturalist* by
Eoin Colfer
N.E.R.D.S. (series)
Behind the Gates
(Tomorrow Girls)
by Michael Buckley
by Eva Gray
by Madeleine L’Engle
The Time Hackers by Gary
Paulsen
Action/Adventure
The Mysterious Benedict
Society (series)
by Trenton Lee Stewart
Rescue Josh McGuire
by Ben Mikaelsen
Stormbreaker (series)
by Anthony Horowitz
Middleworld (series)
Peak
The Twenty One Balloons^
by Roland Smith
by William Pene Du Bois
Bearstone
Tunnels (series) by Roderick
Gordon
by Will Hobbs
Island: Shipwreck* (series)
by Gordon Korman
Woodsong^
Swindle
The Dangerous Days of
Daniel X (series)
by Gordon Korman
by J & P Voelkel
by Gary Paulsen
by James Patterson
Newbery and Classics
Harriet the Spy by Louise
Fitzhugh
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of
NIMH by Robert O’Brien
The Incredible Journey^ by
Sheila Every Burnford
Bridge to Terabithia
by Katherine Paterson
The Graveyard Book by Neil
Gaiman
Indian in the Cupboard by
Lynne Reid Banks
Turtle in Paradise* by
Jennifer L. Holm
The Secret Garden by
Frances Hodgson Burnett
One Crazy Summer by Rita
Williams-Garcia
The Higher Power of
Lucky^ by Susan Patron
Where the Mountain Meets
the Moon by Grace Lin
Holes* by Louis Sachar
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Chronicles of Narnia
by C.S. Lewis
My Side of the Mountain by
Jean Craighead George
The Westing Game by Ellen
Raskin
When You Reach Me by
Rebecca Stead
Hatchet^ by Gary Paulsen
Favorite Series
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
The World According to
Humphrey* by Betty Birney
The Spiderwick Chronicles*
by Tony DiTerlizzi
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff
Kinney
A Series of Unfortunate
Events^ by Lemony Snicket
39 Clues* by various authors
Dear Dumb Diary by Jim
Benton
Sisters Grimm by Michael
Buckley
The Name of This Book is
Secret by Pseudonymous
Bosch
The Boys Start the War /
The Girls Get Even (series)
Main Street Girls by Ann M.
Martin
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Everest by Gordon Korman
Percy Jackson and the
Olympians* by Rick Riordan
Molly Moon by Georgia Byng
Big Nate* by Lincoln Pierce
FAVORITE
AUTHORS/
ILLUSTRATORS
Avi
Jim Benton
Judy Blume
Andrew Clements
Christopher Paul
Curtis
Margaret Peterson
Haddix
Jack Gantos
Jeff Kinney
Gordon Korman
Phyllis Reynolds
Naylor
Jack Prelutsky
Louis Sachar
Brian Selznick
Shel Silverstein
Jerry Spinelli
How to Train Your Dragon
by Cressida Cowell
Dive by Gordon Korman
Non-fiction
Bulu: African Wonder Dog
by Dick Houston
Bulu, a Jack Russell Terrier born in
Zambia, becomes a foster parent
for orphaned baby animals after
being adopted by Anna and Steve,
who left England to live in the
African bush.
The Top of the World: Climbing
Mount Everest
by Steve Jenkins
Describes the conditions and terrain
of Mount Everest, attempts that
have been made to scale this peak,
and general information about the
equipment and techniques of
mountain climbing.
Titanic: Voices From the
Disaster
by Deborah Hopkinson
Tells the tale of the sinking of the
Titanic using the narratives of the
witnesses and survivors to the
disaster.
The Crossing: How George
Washington Saved the
American Revolution
by Jim Murphy
Learn how George Washington’s
crossing of the Delaware River
helped save the American
Revolution.
Spy School
by Adrian Gilbert
Discusses the skills and training
needed to become a spy, spying
techniques and different types of
surveillance. Includes profiles of
famous spies and double agents.
Ballpark: The Story of America’s
Baseball Fields by Lynn Curlee
From the first ballpark converted
from an ice rink in 1862 to the
space-aged Houston Astrodome to
the league's newest state-of-the-art
stadiums, this book tells the history
of baseball through its ballparks. As
America changed so did its
ballparks, and their various
architectural forms helped shape
the game we know today.
Technically, It’s Not My Fault by
John Grandits
Offers the thoughts of an elevenyear-old boy who, through a
collection of poetry and
illustrations, ponders the many
things he sees and experiences in
the world around him.
Spanish Books
Impress Mr. Herman in the fall by practicing
your Spanish with these recommended titles:
Berto y sus buenas ideas by Magaly
Rodriguez
Agentes secretos y el mural de Picasso by
Mira Canion
Isabela captura un congo by Karen Rowan
Tumba by Mira Canion
Carl no quiere ir a Mexico by Karen Rowan
Pobre Ana by Blaine Ray
Rival by Mira Canion
Las aventuras de Isabela by Karen Rowan
Piratas del Caribe y el mapa secreto
by Mira Canion and Carol Gaab
Helpful Links and Websites
Summer Reading Programs:
Edgartown Public Library
http://www.edgartownlibrary.org
Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge
http://www.scholastic.com/summer/
Summer Reading with the Red Sox
http://www.readingmatters.org
Read Kiddo Read
http://www.readkiddoread.com/home
Reading Games/Activities
PBS Reading Games
http://pbskids.org/games/reading.html
Scholastic Reading Games
http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/
games/
FunBrain Reading Games and More
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/
ReadingBrain/ReadingBrain.html
Reading Comprehension Games
http://www.funenglishgames.com/
readinggames.html
Kaboose Fun School Literature Games
http://funschool.kaboose.com/arcade/
language/